No. 7 Ohio State Falls to No. 11 Minnesota in Four
11/4/2021 10:47:06 PM | Women's Volleyball
Box Score | Season Stats | Photo Gallery
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s volleyball team (18-5, 8-5 Big Ten) fell to No. 11 Minnesota (15-6, 10-3 Big Ten) on Thursday night in four sets (23-25, 25-16, 15-25, 23-25) inside the Covelli Center.
How it Happened
Ohio State scored first to open the match and the teams traded points as they were tied at five. The Buckeyes scored the next three points to take an 8-5 lead. OSU stretched the lead to 10-6 before Minnesota tallied four-consecutive points to tie the set at 10. The Gophers took its first lead of the set at 12-11 after an unsuccessful Buckeye challenge. Minnesota called the first timeout of the set after back-to-back Buckeye points gave OSU the 18-17 lead. The Gophers scored the next three points to force an OSU timeout and maintained the lead to take the first set by a 25-23 margin.
The Buckeyes scored first in the second set and the teams alternated points until three-straight OSU points gave Ohio State the 9-5 lead and forced the Gophers to call timeout. The Buckeyes scored four of the next five points on the floor to increase the lead to 13-6 to force another Minnesota timeout. The Gophers trimmed the Buckeyes’ lead to 17-13 before a 6-0 OSU run increased the advantage to 23-13. A kill from Gabby Gonzales gave Ohio State the 25-16 set win.
Minnesota scored first for the first time of the match in set three and got the first five points on the floor before a block from Arica Davis and Gabby Gonzales got Ohio State on the board. The Gophers built an 8-2 lead but the Buckeyes cut that lead in half with three-straight points. Minnesota went on a 4-1 run to increase the lead to 12-6 and force an Ohio State timeout. The Buckeyes took another timeout trailing 16-7. The Gophers lead stretched to as much as 19-7 but would get no closer than 22-14 as Minnesota earned the 25-15 set victory.
The Buckeyes scored first in the fourth set but the Gophers immediately responded. After being tied at two, Ohio State put together a 5-1 run to take an early 7-3 lead. OSU maintained the lead but Minnesota trimmed it to one at both 12-11 and 13-12. The Buckeyes led by a 15-12 margin at the media timeout. OSU held an 18-14 lead but four unanswered Minnesota points tied the set at 18. The Gophers also tied the set at 19 after a successful challenge. The Gophers took their first lead of the set at 20-19 but back-to-back Buckeye points gave OSU the 22-21 lead and forced a Minnesota timeout. The set was tied at 22 and 23 before Ohio State took a timeout trailing 24-23. The Gophers blocked a ball to win the match with a 25-23 set win.
Highlights
S1: Rylee Rader kill
S2: Kylie Murr dig/Ohio State rally
S2: Set point (Gabby Gonzales kill)
S4: Kylie Murr dig
Match Notes
- Arica Davis recorded her 100th career block during the first set. She totaled seven blocks, her third-highest total of the season.
- Ohio State totaled at least 10 blocks for the seventh time this season.
- Kylie Murr reached double-figure digs for the 20th match this season, finishing with a season-high 30 digs. This is the first time this season she’s recorded at least 20 digs in less than five sets. Murr was just one shy of her career high as she moved into the top 10 and up to ninth in program history in career digs (1,265).
- Gabby Gonzales was the first player on either side to reach 10 kills, doing so for the 17th time this season and the eighth-straight match. She also recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 12 digs.
- Mac Podraza captured her eighth double-double of the season with 37 assists and 13 digs.
- Hannah Gruensfelder reached double-figure digs for the seventh time this season, finishing the match with 11.
- Four different Buckeyes recorded an ace.
- Set one: The set was tied four points by the time the teams were knotted at 10 apiece and nine times total.
- Set two: The Buckeyes defense forced the Gophers to hit .000 during the second set.
- Set four: Ohio State did not trail until 20-19.
What They Said
Head Coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg on what the team needs to do moving forward:
“I think it’s the mindset – it’s that confidence and that swag that Kylie [Murr] was talking about. We have to show up and do the work but also take care of the results and not allow another team to score points for us or against us. I think we need to have the mindset that we’re going to control the match and when we do that, we play to our ability and when we don’t, we sit back and let things happen. These teams will roll on you. For us, it’s putting words into action and seeing it translate on the court.”
Junior libero Kylie Murr on tonight’s match:
“I’m upset but I think we did a lot of good things. I also think that we had the momentum and we were doing all the right things but we couldn’t finish.”
Freshman middle blocker Arica Davis on having her family’s support in the crowd:
“That is amazing. My family, they are my home and when they come to see my games it means the world to me. It makes my heart so full. I will never forget these times.”
Freshman middle blocker Arica Davis on moving forward:
“Mentally, I would say moving forward that we need to stay confident in ourselves. Take it to them. Keep pushing and keep working hard. Take the action that we’ve been putting in and I know that we will. We’re going to come through.”
Up Next
The Buckeyes conclude the three-match home stand at the Covelli Center on Saturday evening when No. 9 Nebraska comes to Columbus for a 7 p.m. match. The contest will be streamed live on B1G+ (subscription required).
Single-match and season tickets for all home games are now on sale. Purchase today to see your Buckeyes inside Covelli this season.
The NCAA Final Four will be held in Columbus at Nationwide Arena on Dec. 16 and 18. Visit HERE for more information.
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